Legends of Neopia: Battle for Meridell
by Elrade
Summary: When Lord Kass threatens the peace of Meridell, it is up to one young knight-in-training, Hunter, to discover his destiny. Rated T for some blood and mild language.
1. Prologue

"In the history of our world, there have been many great warriors. Many of them fought for justice, using their skills in combat to defeat the forces of evil. Others fought for no particular side, mercenaries who sold their services to the highest bidder. Some, however, fought for the Chaos… An evil force that has existed since the universe was born, battling the six elements of Order: Light, Darkness, Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. Throughout history, the Chaos has caused civilizations to fall, and dark empires to rise. Legend foretells that, someday, six warriors who represented the elements of Order shall rise, and quash the evil Chaos for good… But I doubt I will see that in my lifetime." -- Lord Uther of the Draconian Kingdom.

In the lush kingdom of Meridell…

"Hunter, come in for dinner, dear!"

"Coming, mother!" A young white Lupe, about 15 or so, was practicing his swordsmanship on a scarecrow. He rushed into his parent's shack, and sat at the table.

"It's good to see you, son. Have ye been practicin' your swordsmanship?" A noble, older looking White Lupe in armor sat down next to his son, and waited for their meal.

"Yes, father, I have, and I'll say I'm getting much better at it!"

"Well, here it is, boys. Dig in!" A beautiful white Lupess, clad in a dress, sat down and gave them their food; mashed potatoes with a hearty serving of Whinny steak.

Hunter, the young Lupe, eagerly wolfed it down. His father, a knight of Meridell, and his mother, a kind sorceress, had raised him well, but even they couldn't keep their son from gorging himself.

"You sure are a great cook, mother." Hunter said, kindly. "Could you please make some-"

Suddenly, a Blumaroo peasant came into the house! "General Arthur, the forces of the Citadel are attack-AAARGH!" The peasant then fell, a poison-tipped arrow in his back."

"No…" Sir Arthur then took his sword. "Guinevere, Hunter, hide! I'll fight these-" Suddenly, a cloaked figure with wings burst in the door! He was barely taller than Hunter, but his red eyes indicated he was the leader of this group.

"Well, well, well… It seems that General Arthur is a family man… Hehehehe…" The figure then thrust his sword into Arthur's gut! "ARGH!" Arthur then swung his sword, but missed. Fortunately, Guinevere cast a spell, but it was deflected!

"Morguss came up with this spell just to make sure you couldn't fight me!" The figure threw a poisoned knife at Guinevere, and she slumped to the ground.

"Hunter, go… You have to become a knight." Guinevere's dying words were urgent, and Hunter was forced to leave his parents behind. As he looked back, he saw the village he was raised in burn down…

"Mother! Father! NOOOOO!"


	2. Beginnings

"No… Mother… Father…" Hunter woke up from his recurring nightmare, sprawled out on the floor.

"Oi, Hunter! Ya fell outta bed again!" Lance, a young Blue Gelert knight-in-training and Hunter's best friend, was laughing.

"Ye didn't need to tell me that…" Hunter, now a confident eighteen-year-old, got up, and put on his armor. It was lightweight, a kind of enchanted chainmail/cloth composite that felt no heavier than normal clothing for him. He strapped on his regal purple belt, and walked into the courtyard, grabbing his sword.

"ALRIGHT, YE PUTRID MAGGOTS! LET'S SEE IF YE COULD FIGHT AGAINST A THREAT!" Knightmaster Torak, a mighty blue Grarrl was teaching the squires. Hunter had advanced beyond that quite a while ago, and was off to serve his duty guarding the entrance to Castle City.

"OUT OF THE WAY, YE MERIDELLIAN!" Suddenly, a purple and black carriage, towed by three Darigan Unis in battle armour, almost ran Hunter over!

"Blasted Draconians…" Hunter spit on the ground, but followed. He knew it was his duty to escort any visitors from the Kass Citadel to the Throne room. As he caught up with them, he was told that this cart had a very special visitor; Lord Kass, the noble and heroic leader of the Citadel himself! Hunter, however, still didn't trust him, or ANY Draconian, for that matter.

"So… You are the rising star of the Knights of Meridell." Lord Kass, a majestic Darigan Eyrie, apparently only 21, stepped out of the cart. "Hmph… You look like General Arthur."

"I am his son, your Lordship." Hunter bowed, but secretly, he had an odd feeling of hatred for Kass, and he saw a peculiar glare in Kass's blood-red eyes, as if he returned the hatred… But why?

"Hmph. Take me to your fat king." Kass said, then flew out of the carriage, stretching his wings.

"So, Lord Kass himself has come to visit, eh?" Skarl, the grumpy, and, as Lord Kass said, fat king of Meridell, was a blue Skeith. Despite his… Lack of intelligence (Especially when compared to his brother, Hagan), Skarl was a good leader.

"Oh, this isn't a mere visit. I bring you… A gift." Kass then gestured to his guards to move out of the way. From behind them, a lovely brown Aisha gracefully stepped out from the dark. "She is the finest dancer in my court, and I hope she serves you well." Then, Kass walked back to the carriage, with his guardsmen beside him.

"Hunter! Go to Meri Acres farms. I've heard there are sightings of a… Bat-Thing… There. It's been troubling the peasants, and I want it here! NOW!" Skarl bellowed, and Hunter rushed out of the castle, but he overheard two of Kass's minions talking…

"Yes, it's perfect. Once the King is under her spell, the rest of Lord Kass's plan will begin in earnest."

"Hehehehehe…"


	3. Mysteries

Hunter was rushing to Meri Acres, when a Techo suddenly ran up to him!

"Sir Hunter, please help us! Illusen's Glade is under attack by some huge, two headed… THING!"

"Well, THIS certainly wasn't in my training… Fine, I'll go." Hunter drew his sword and ran towards Illusen's Glade, ready to fight.

"RRRRROOOOOOOOARRR! BLUGTHAK CRUSH!" A fearful, two-headed beast roared with one of its heads as it smashed trees into splinters with its club!

"BLUGTHAK… HUNGRY!!" The other head then grabbed an innocent bystander, and dropped him into its mouth. Let's just say it wasn't a pretty sight…

"What in the hell? That thing is… Bloody horrible!" Hunter then rushed into battle, sword at the ready.

"Take THIS, you great, stupid… Thing!" Hunter thrust his sword into Blugthak's back… But Blugthak's skin was too thick! It only left a little scratch!

"Blugthak no LIKE YOU!" "BLUGTHAK SMASH PUNY LUPE!!" The two heads roared, and shook Hunter into a tree! Hunter hit the bark with a sickening crunch, as Blugthak raised its club above his head, ready to strike…

Hunter rolled out of the way just in time, and saw some citizens in the shadows. "Run. I'll hold this overgrown idiot off." Hunter grabbed his sword, but, when he stood up, he noticed he had a limp… "Damn it! Of all the… Oh, slag." Blugthak rushed towards Hunter, and picked him up. Hunter was waiting for Blugthak to either crush him with his hands, eat him, or throw him into a tree, all of which would be deadly…

Suddenly, Hunter felt lighter than air, and saw that he was… Glowing? "What the-?" Then, Hunter zoomed out of Blugthak's hand at the speed of light somehow! "Well, this is new…" Hunter then taunted Blugthak by throwing a rock at one of its eyes.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" Blugthak reeled back in pain, and Hunter used the opportunity to dash forward at lightspeed with his sword, neatly severing one of Blugthak's heads! "That ought to teach you; you can't catch light!" Then, he dashed at Blughtak again, and the vorpal blade went snicker-snack! Hunter left it dead, and without its heads, he went limping back to the castle, wondering how he could control light...


	4. Discoveries

On the way back to the castle, Hunter was wondering

"How DID I do that? And why was that thing attacking the Glade?" Hunter kept asking these questions to himself as he realized that, with his limp, he wouldn't make it back to the Castle. He couldn't harness his lightspeed for some reason, either… He walked into the house of a peasant.

"Excuse me, could you-?" Hunter began to ask, when he noticed nobody was home, except for a young Usul.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"My name is Sally. The bad men took my parents away, and now they're going to hurt Mr. Scary." Sally wept. Hunter then saw that other peasant's houses were burning, and he saw… Darigan soldiers?

"Oh, no… It's just like before… No!" Hunter's mind raced, as he remembered that fateful night his village was destroyed, and his parents murdered.

"I'm going to help you save your parents AND Mr. Scary. How about that?" Hunter than picked Sally up and she gave him a hug.

"Thanks, Mr. Knight." Hunter than put her back on the floor.

"This is the way to Mr. Scary's home!" She lead him to a barn.

The two walked in, and found… A Darigan Korbat?

"Is that-" "Yup, it's Mr. Scary! Say hello!" "Hello?" Suddenly, Mr. Scary turned around.

"Go away, don't hurt… Wait… Sir Pendragon? But you were killed!" The Korbat said, sounding shocked!

"No, Mr. Scary, I'm his son. Sir Pendragon and his wife are… Dead." The Korbat looked sad, and then looked at Hunter

"My name… Is Lord Darigan. And your father and mother were double agents. They were on the Citadel's side, but I told them to end the war from the inside. Like most of my soldiers, your father and his platoon NEVER took the life of a Meridellian. Your mother worked in the Meridell Castle to try and persuade Skarl to end the war with a truce, but to no avail."

"Wait, my Father was on your side? You never took lives?" Hunter was overwhelmed by these answers, and wanted to hear more.

"Most never killed. But Kass and his platoon… Were different. He would be about three years older than you by now. He was a great fighter, but had no honour. He was too aggressive, but he was extremely loyal, so I kept him, but never let him become a knight. He was enraged when your father became a knight, because he thought he was a Meridellian traitor. You see, your parents, escaped to Meridell when our land was raided, fled here, not knowing they lived in the place that invaded Draconia and 

turned our land into a wasteland. When the Citadel was what remained of their homeland, they joined me and my army to stop the fighting." Darigan said.

"So… Who killed my parents?" Hunter queried, and helped Darigan stand up.

"I don't know… But you are the first of the-" Suddenly, the barn lit on fire! The heroes escaped, and found them selves surrounded by Kass's minions…


End file.
